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Hi guys,
I need your help with this. I’m not sure if applying a boost to my short pips will work.
I’m a penholder short pips player (RPB), and I haven't played for several years (since 2001). Two years ago, I started playing again, and everything changed: set 11 points, ball 40 mm, service rules, and several banned materials. I started searching for equipment that fit me and the new materials and rules. During this time, I tested several blades, including the Stiga Infinity VPS, Yinhe T-4s, Viscaria, Stiga Nostalgic VII, Xiom Xtrem S, and Stiga Clipper CR, as well as several combinations with different SPs, such as 802-40, Clippa, TSP Spectol, Waran, Joola Express Ultra, and Dingo Swiss.
Last year, I finally decided to play with the Nostalgic VII and the Express Ultra. I played in my local league, which is a low-level league, and after 25 years, I won 65% of the games. I'm not happy with that, but it wasn't bad. During the summer, I decided to change my setup because I realized that I was hitting many easy balls out of the table. I didn't know why, but I think the combination of a hard blade, a tensor, and a slightly hard sponge made it difficult for me to control it. This combination is really good when I'm far from the table, but I play 95% of my points close to the table. I started changing the blade: Clipper CR and JEU. During that period, I coordinated two training sessions with Ding Yi. If you don't know him, He's a Chinese-Austrian player, 5th in the Olympics (Barcelona), a professional player in the Bundesliga, and a great guy!
I consider Ding to be the first real trainer I've had in my life. I'm 46 years old. He corrected some details of my technique that no one had told me before, such as the pressure of the fingers on the blade and adjusting the angle with the thumb. He also explained some points to consider when playing matches, such as tactics. After the first session, I realized that something had really changed. After the second session, he told me that the Joola Express SP was too hard for my game and gave me a Dingo Swiss SP 2.0 as a gift (the same one he uses). This SP is softer and slower than the JEU; the incoming spin doesn't affect it as much as it does the JEU. I've been using that setup (Clipper CR and Dingo Swiss) for two months. The first two weeks were a bit frustrating because the new SP requires more physical effort. I have to hit harder. After training more (two to three hours, two to three times per week), I realized that with the JEU, my shots were faster, stronger, and had more spin. However, only 55-65% of the balls landed on the table. Now, with the DS, my shots are slower. I can apply more spin with my wrist. The hit is flatter, but my rate of landing the ball on the table increases to 70-85%. There is a bit of a sink effect, and usually, the other player’s ball goes to the net after blocking my flat hit. The issue I'm facing now is that, after a few days (maybe a week), the DS turns really slow, and I can't reglue it every session.
Thank you for your patience. After this long story, here is my question:
Would it help if I boosted the SP? It's a soft sponge, not a tensor.
If I do that, would the boost effect last longer than the normal glue? If it lasts one week, that would be enough for me.
What happens to the sponge after boosting it several times?
How many times do you think I can boost it before I should change it?
If the SP booster is a good option, which one do you recommend?
If not, what would you suggest?
Setup: Stiga Clipper CR.
FH: SP Dingo Swiss 2.0
BH: Stiga Mantra M
Glue: Revolution N3 Normal Viscosity (I have Butterfly Free Check II, but I'm using Revolution 3).
I need your help with this. I’m not sure if applying a boost to my short pips will work.
I’m a penholder short pips player (RPB), and I haven't played for several years (since 2001). Two years ago, I started playing again, and everything changed: set 11 points, ball 40 mm, service rules, and several banned materials. I started searching for equipment that fit me and the new materials and rules. During this time, I tested several blades, including the Stiga Infinity VPS, Yinhe T-4s, Viscaria, Stiga Nostalgic VII, Xiom Xtrem S, and Stiga Clipper CR, as well as several combinations with different SPs, such as 802-40, Clippa, TSP Spectol, Waran, Joola Express Ultra, and Dingo Swiss.
Last year, I finally decided to play with the Nostalgic VII and the Express Ultra. I played in my local league, which is a low-level league, and after 25 years, I won 65% of the games. I'm not happy with that, but it wasn't bad. During the summer, I decided to change my setup because I realized that I was hitting many easy balls out of the table. I didn't know why, but I think the combination of a hard blade, a tensor, and a slightly hard sponge made it difficult for me to control it. This combination is really good when I'm far from the table, but I play 95% of my points close to the table. I started changing the blade: Clipper CR and JEU. During that period, I coordinated two training sessions with Ding Yi. If you don't know him, He's a Chinese-Austrian player, 5th in the Olympics (Barcelona), a professional player in the Bundesliga, and a great guy!
I consider Ding to be the first real trainer I've had in my life. I'm 46 years old. He corrected some details of my technique that no one had told me before, such as the pressure of the fingers on the blade and adjusting the angle with the thumb. He also explained some points to consider when playing matches, such as tactics. After the first session, I realized that something had really changed. After the second session, he told me that the Joola Express SP was too hard for my game and gave me a Dingo Swiss SP 2.0 as a gift (the same one he uses). This SP is softer and slower than the JEU; the incoming spin doesn't affect it as much as it does the JEU. I've been using that setup (Clipper CR and Dingo Swiss) for two months. The first two weeks were a bit frustrating because the new SP requires more physical effort. I have to hit harder. After training more (two to three hours, two to three times per week), I realized that with the JEU, my shots were faster, stronger, and had more spin. However, only 55-65% of the balls landed on the table. Now, with the DS, my shots are slower. I can apply more spin with my wrist. The hit is flatter, but my rate of landing the ball on the table increases to 70-85%. There is a bit of a sink effect, and usually, the other player’s ball goes to the net after blocking my flat hit. The issue I'm facing now is that, after a few days (maybe a week), the DS turns really slow, and I can't reglue it every session.
Thank you for your patience. After this long story, here is my question:
Would it help if I boosted the SP? It's a soft sponge, not a tensor.
If I do that, would the boost effect last longer than the normal glue? If it lasts one week, that would be enough for me.
What happens to the sponge after boosting it several times?
How many times do you think I can boost it before I should change it?
If the SP booster is a good option, which one do you recommend?
If not, what would you suggest?
Setup: Stiga Clipper CR.
FH: SP Dingo Swiss 2.0
BH: Stiga Mantra M
Glue: Revolution N3 Normal Viscosity (I have Butterfly Free Check II, but I'm using Revolution 3).
